Kenya switches off over four million unregistered SIM cards

Nairobi–Kenya’s the four mobile network operators have collectively suspended about 4.4 million unregistered users out of the targeted 6.1 million. This represents over 70 per cent compliance with new law. Over one million might be disconnected from the networks in the next 10 days if they will not have registered as the operators strive to avoid heavy penalties. Airtel said it had barred over 670,000 users from its network out of the targeted 823,000 users. Orange has blocked 860,000 out of the 1.2 million unregistered users it had at the beginning of the year. Essar has suspended an estimated 400,000, where it was targeting 1.13 million users on its network. The company said SIM card registrations rose from 2.1 million to 2.7 million in January. Safaricom on Thursday announced it had completed the process having blocked 2.5 million users. At the end of last year, it had about 2.9 unregistered users. The Kenya Information and Communications Act was amended last year to provide for the registration of telecom subscribers and require mobile operators to maintain a register of all persons to whom they offer telecommunications services. According to the Act, operators who do not comply will be fined sh300,000 for every unregistered SIM card on their network. The regulations outlining the procedures were gazetted on January 11, which means operators have 30 days to comply or start paying the penalty. Suspended mobile users have a 90-day window within which they must register or lose their lines permanently.Rwanda launched officially the SIM card registration exercise in the country on Monday, February 4, targeting over five million subscribers across three telecom networks. The exercise that will be conducted by operators, Tigo, MTN and Airtel, will last six months up to July 31.The exercise is part of the regional initiative under the East Africa Communications Organisation. Rwanda was the only remaining member of the East African Community that had not implemented the SIM card registration. In Uganda, the registration exercise ends on February 28, while in Tanzania and Burundi, it is also ongoing.

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Kenya switches off over four million unregistered SIM cards